To Dharamsala

Trip Start Jul 08, 2008
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Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of India  , Himachal Pradesh,
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The Tibetan enclave in Delhi offers nightly buses to Dharamsala which leave directly from the settlement. While waiting for the bus to arrive I was standing next to a man and an older monk who had the stature of a teacher, both of whom were originally from Tibet and also making their ways towards Dharamsala. We were approached by a man with no hands who was begging for whatever we could give. He couldn't hold out a hand as he had nothing but stubs where his hands once were. The monk, who probably had nothing to give, told the other man to give some change to the beggar and at this point I decided to follow suit - placing a couple of Rupees in the man's shirt pocket. Prior to this, my philosophy towards begging had been molded by my experiences in the U.S., knowing that by "giving in" I was only encouraging able-bodied men to beg. In India there are plenty of beggars who are obviously crippled beyond any working potential.

There were crushing crowds around the three separate buses and after finding the correct bus I was discouraged by the massive crowd that had gathered, where luggage was being loaded. I then realized that the crowd was very collaborative; everybody helping eachother load bags. There wasn't the slightest feeling of "every man for himself" and the Tibetan culture at this point reminded me of Southern hospitality in a strange way, except with pressing crowds and sauna-like heat. Once I boarded the bus and took my seat I quickly downed a Liter of water and enjoyed the ride out of Delhi. Falling asleep with dusty urban scenery, I awoke with winding roads through pines and beautiful mountain views. Finally after about 12 hours the bus pulled into the heart of Mcleod Ganj (the area just north of Dharamsala where the Dalai Lama resides) and I found my way to a guesthouse and settled down.
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